Why we do what we do

Our curriculum offers children many opportunities to engage in a wide variety of meaningful activities. Here are some reasons why we do certain activities, what the learning is that’s going on, why they are important, and what they are preparing for.

WORKING WITH CRAYONS, PAINTS, SCISSORS…

  • Develops muscular coordination, later to be used in writing
  • Enlarges child’s imagination and creativity
  • Provides for planning in proper work habits (i.e., taking care of materials and learning how to plan a project)
  • Develops safety habits
  • Gives outlet for emotional strain
  • Shows child’s progression of development (samples of first work compared with late samples)


HEARING AND TELLING…

  • Widens child’s vocabulary
  • Hopefully starts a long term interest in books
  • Develops imagination
  • Helps the child listen for content
  • Provides opportunity for planning dramatization
  • Increases attention span
  • Quiets restlessness
  • Develops enunciation (teacher and other children as models)
  • Provides for group to work together


LOOKING AT PICTURE BOOKS…

  • Provides topics for informal discussion
  • Helps child in sequencing (beginning, middle and end of story)
  • Aids visual discrimination, noticing details
  • Increases attention span
  • Develops imagination and provides vicarious experiences


PLAYING AT SAND TABLE, WORKING WITH CLAY OR WATER PLAY…

  • Develops imagination
  • Gives outlet for anger
  • Provides opportunity for concepts of big, small, more, less, etc.
  • Helps child discuss what he is doing (language development)
  • Develops small muscle control (fine motor coordination)
  • Beginning measurement


PLAYING WITH BLOCKS, LARGE AND SMALL…

  • Gives opportunity to play together and share ideas
  • Develops imagination
  • Helps develop big muscles of arms and legs (large blocks)
  • Helps develop small muscles in hands (small blocks)
  • Helps eyes and hands work together in balancing and building
  • Provides an atmosphere for talking and dramatic play
  • Helps child with concepts of big, bigger, tall, short, heavy, etc…
  • Fractions


DRAMATIZATION OR DRAMATIC PLAY IN HOUSEKEEPING CORNER…

  • Helps broaden experience
  • Provides opportunity for recall of events in sequence
  • Encourages language development
  • Provides a situation for cooperation
  • Helps child to be creative
  • Develops an interest in reading and books


HELPING WITH HOUSEKEEPING DUTIES…

  • Gives opportunity for children to assume responsibility
  • Encourages habits of neatness and orderliness
  • Gives child a feeling of being part of a group, a helpmate
  • Provides opportunity for a child to sequence an activity


EXPERIENCING MUSIC AND RHYTHM…

  • Helps in listening and discriminating sounds
  • Arouses a feeling for and sense of rhythm
  • Helps child participate in a group
  • Stimulates dancing, hopping, running – large muscle activity
  • Provides opportunity for following directions
  • Provides outlet for restless feelings, anger or distress


SWINGING, CLIMBING, OTHER OUTDOOR PLAY…

  • Develops large muscles of legs, arms, and torso
  • Provides an opportunity for letting off steam
  • Is a good place for dramatic play
  • Helps child to learn to take turns, socially to get along with peers
  • Allows child to determine limits of strength, balance, and coordination


SNACK…

  • Stimulates sociability – sharing of conversation
  • Develops basic principles of good nutrition
  • Improves perceptual motor skills, (i.e. pouring)
  • Develops math skills – counting, dividing, volume






330 First Parish Road Scituate, MA 02066 781-545-9309